Shooting game control method and game system

ABSTRACT

A shooting game control method, which is executed by a computer incorporated in a device including a display and a touch panel, includes accepting a touch operation on the touch panel; displaying a first frame indicative of a shooting effective range on the display in accordance with a position of the touch operation; accepting an instruction for an attack on an attack target in a state in which the first frame is displayed; determining whether the attack target in a game image displayed on the display is within the first frame or not, at a time point when the instruction for the attack has been accepted; and controlling the attack on the attack target in the game image in accordance with a result of the determining.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser.No. 15/929,118, filed Mar. 29, 2019, which is a continuation applicationof U.S. application Ser. No. 15/711,131, filed Sep. 21, 2017, (now U.S.Pat. No. 10,286,302), which is a continuation application which claimsthe benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. application Ser.No. 15/376,810, filed Dec. 13, 2016, (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,795,873),which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/186,496, filedFeb. 21, 2014, (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,561,436), which is based upon andclaims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Applications No.2013-035555, filed on Feb. 26, 2013 and No. 2013-131778, filed on Jun.24, 2013, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a shooting game control method and agame system, which are suited to a device including a touch-panel-typedisplay screen, such as a smartphone.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, there has been thought a technique wherein, in order torealize a game with high operability with use of a touch panel, if atouch panel is slid-operated so as to draw a locus surrounding an enemycharacter on a display screen, the enemy character surrounded by thelocus is automatically registered as a lock-on target, and a shootingaction aiming at the enemy character of the lock-on target is executedin accordance with a subsequent tap operation (for example, Patentdocument 1).

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

Patent document 1: Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2010-017395

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the technique disclosed in Patent document 1, in order to pinpoint anenemy character, an operation of “drawing a locus surrounding an enemycharacter” is executed. This operation realizes an easy-to-understandoperability which is unique to the game using the touch panel, but thisoperation is unnatural in a game simulating a real shooting.

Specifically, in a game simulating a real shooting, for example, in agame simulating a long-distance shooting, for example, it appears morenatural to adopt such an operation system that a button operation or thelike, which corresponds to a trigger of a sniper's rifle, is executed ina state in which an enemy character has been captured at the center ofthe view field of the scope of the sniper's rifle by using the scope ofthe sniper's rifle, and thereby a bullet hits the enemy character.

In the case where this kind of game with operability simulating a realshooting is realized by a device with a limited display area, such as asmartphone, a concrete operation may become such that, for example, anenemy character is found out from the screen, the image of the enemycharacter is enlarged, an arbitrary shooting point is specified, andshooting is actually executed. Specifically, in some cases, a game,which is realized by a device with a limited display area, tends to makean overall operation complex, and a speedy game development may behindered.

On the other hand, there are many shooting games with an auto-aimingfunction of instantaneously and automatically aiming at a nearby enemycharacter by performing a predetermined key operation. In particular, ina game in which many enemy characters appear and the numbers ofsuccessive shootings of enemy characters are contested, the auto-aimingfunction is effective, but it is difficult to express a weighting or thelike of scores based on a difference in shooting position.

The object of the present invention is to provide a shooting gamecontrol method and a game system, which can achieve both preciseshooting and speedy game development by a simple and easy-to-understandoperation.

In general, according to one embodiment, a shooting game control method,which is executed by a computer incorporated in a device including adisplay configured to display a game image and a touch panel moduleprovided integral with the display, includes accepting a touch operationon the touch panel module; displaying a first frame indicative of ashooting effective range on the display in accordance with a position ofthe touch operation; accepting an instruction for an attack on an attacktarget in a state in which the first frame is displayed; determiningwhether the attack target in a game image displayed on the display iswithin the first frame or not, at a time point when the operation forthe attack has been accepted; and controlling the attack on the attacktarget in the game image in accordance with a result of the determining.

According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve bothprecise shooting and speedy game development by a simple andeasy-to-understand operation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, andtogether with the general description given above and the detaileddescription of the embodiments given below, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration ofelectric circuits of a smartphone according to an embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the content of a process inassociation with a touch operation during a shooting game in theembodiment.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an image of a part of a shooting buttoncircle which is displayed during the game in the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating an image of a part of a shooting buttoncircle which is displayed during the game in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating an image of a part of a shooting buttoncircle which is displayed during the game in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating an image of a part of a shooting buttoncircle which is displayed during the game in the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment in a case where the invention is applied to a shootinggame program, which is executed by a smartphone, will now be describedwith reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration ofelectronic circuits of a smartphone 10 according to the embodiment. InFIG. 1, a CPU 11 executes a control operation of the entirety of thesmartphone 10. A main memory 12, a solid-state drive (SSD) 13, a 3G & 4Gcommunication unit 14, a wireless LAN communication unit 15, an externalmemory card 16, a display unit 17, a touch panel unit 18, a key inputunit 19, an audio processor 20, and an image processor 21 are connectedto the CPU 11 via a system bus SB.

The CPU 11 reads out programs (an operating system (OS) and anapplication program running on the OS) stored in the solid-state drive13 and fixed pattern data, develops and loads them in the main memory12, and executes the programs, thereby comprehensively controlling theentire operation of the smartphone 10.

The main memory 12 is composed of, for example, an SRAM, and functionsas a work memory of the CPU 11. The solid-state drive 13 is composed ofa nonvolatile memory, for instance, a flash memory, and stores, as astorage medium of the smartphone 10, various content data such as imagedata and song data, as well as the above-described operation programsand various fixed pattern data.

The 3G & 4G communication unit 14 is a communication unit which operatesin a dual mode, and transmits/receives data to/from a nearby basestation (not shown) via an antenna 22, based on a third-generationmobile communication system according to the IMT-2000 standard, and afourth-generation mobile communication system according to theIMT-Advance standard.

The wireless LAN communication unit 15 transmits/receives data to/from anearby access point (not shown) or the like via an antenna 23, based on,for example, the IEEE802.11a/b/g/n standard.

The display unit 17 is composed of a backlight-equipped TFT color liquidcrystal panel, and a driving unit thereof. The display unit 17 displaysvarious images.

The touch panel unit 18 is configured to be integral with the displayunit 17 by using a transparent electrode. The touch panel unit 18generates and outputs two-dimensional position coordinate informationwhich corresponds to a touch operation by the user.

The key input unit 19 is composed of some key switches including a powerkey and a shutter key of a camera function, which are provided on thecasing of the smartphone 10, and a driving circuit of these keyswitches.

The audio processor 20 converts digital audio data, which is deliveredvia the system bus SB, to an analog audio signal, and outputs the analogaudio signal from a speaker 24. In addition, the audio processor 20samples an analog audio signal, which is input from a microphone 25,converts the analog audio signal to digital data and outputs the digitaldata.

The image processor 21 converts to digital data an image signal which isoutput from a solid-state imaging device 27 in accordance with anoptical image which is focused on an imaging surface of the solid-stateimaging device 27 via an optical lens system 26. The solid-state imagingdevice 27 is composed of, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device).The image processor 21 creates and outputs file data which is compressedin data amount by a preset file format, for example, by JPEG (JointPhotographic Experts Group) in the case of a still image.

Next, an operation in the embodiment is described.

The operation to be described below is executed after the CPU 11 hasread out an application program for a shooting game that is stored inthe solid-state drive 13, as described above, and has developed andloaded the application program in the main memory 12. The applicationprogram stored in the solid-state drive 13 is not limited to a programwhich was stored in the solid-state drive 13 at a time of factoryshipment of the smartphone 10, and may be a program which is downloadedfrom the outside by the user of the smartphone 10 via the antenna 22 and3G & 4G communication unit 14, or the antenna 23 and wireless LANcommunication unit 15.

FIG. 2 is a view which extracts and illustrates the content of a processof a shooting action in association with a touch operation on the touchpanel unit 18, the process being executed by the CPU 11 in the shootinggame with the progress of the game.

At the beginning of the process, the CPU 11 repeatedly determineswhether a touch operation by a user has been executed on the touch panelunit 18, thus standing by for a touch operation (step S101).

When a touch operation has been executed, the CPU 11, which hasdetermined this touch operation in step S101, acquires coordinates ofthe touch-operated position from the touch panel unit 18, searches apredetermined range centering at the touch-operated position in the gameimage which is being displayed on the display unit 17 at that time. Tobe more specific, the CPU 11 searches a range which is within a targetcircle TC (to be described later) and is covered by an auto-aimingfunction, and searches for an attack target in the course of progress ofthe game (step S102).

Based on the search result, the CPU 11 determines whether the attacktarget exists at the touch-operated position and the attack target hasbeen directly designated by the touch operation (step S103).

If it is determined that the attack target exists at the touch-operatedposition and the attack target has been directly designated by the touchoperation, the CPU 11 causes the display unit 17 to display a shootingbutton circle SC centering at the touch-operated position (step S104).

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an image of the part of the shootingbutton circle SC which is displayed on the display unit 17 at this time.As illustrated in FIG. 3, the shooting button circle SC simulates animage of an optical sight (scope) centering at cross hair CH having across shape, which is disposed at the touch position. FIG. 3 shows thestate in which the central cross hair CH is displayed such that thecross hair CH overlaps a substantially central part of the chest regionof an attack target MT.

In this shooting game, it is assumed that the outer frame of theshooting button circle SC functions as an operation element whichinstructs movement of a shooting position by a slide operation by theuser, and the inner part of the shooting button circle SC functions as abutton for instructing shooting.

While executing the above-described display, the CPU 11 determines,based on an input from the touch panel unit 18, whether a touchoperation has been executed in the shooting button circle SC within apredetermined time period, for example, within two seconds (step S105).

If it is determined that a touch operation has been executed in theshooting button circle SC, the CPU 11 executes shooting at the attacktarget MT with the progress of the game, and executes a process for anexpression by video and audio, and a process for a score, deeming that abullet hit the attack target MT (step S106). Thereafter, the CPU 11returns to the process from step S101, in preparation for a touchoperation on the next attack target.

In step S105, if no touch operation has been executed in the shootingbutton circle SC within the predetermined time period, for example,within two seconds, the CPU 11 releases the display of the shootingbutton circle SC and the cross hair CH shown in FIG. 3, and returns tothe process from step S101, in preparation for a touch operation on thenext attack target.

In step S103, if it is determined that the attack target does not existat the position which has been touch-operated by the user and that theattack target has not been directly designated by the touch operation,the CPU 11 causes the touch panel unit 18 to display a shooting buttoncircle SC and a target circle TC which concentrically center at thetouch-operated position (step S107).

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating an image of the part of the shootingbutton circle SC which is displayed on the display unit 17 at this time.As illustrated in FIG. 4, the shooting button circle SC simulates animage of the view field of an optical sight (scope) centering at crosshair CH having a cross shape, which is disposed at the touch position.The concentric target circle TC is displayed inside the shooting buttoncircle SC, for example, by a red broken line (a black broken line inFIG. 4). The target circle TC is representative of a range in which abullet can hit an attack target by executing shooting by an auto-aimingfunction.

FIG. 4 illustrates a state in which the attack target MT deviates fromthe cross hair CH, but a major part of the upper body is within thetarget circle TC and it is highly possible that shooting is successfullyexecuted by the auto-aiming function and a bullet hits the attack targetMT.

The CPU 11 determines, based on an input from the touch panel unit 18,whether an outer edge of the shooting button circle SC has beentouch-operated in the state in which the shooting button circle SC,together with the target circle TC, is displayed on the display unit 17(step S108).

If it is determined that the outer edge of the shooting button circle SChas not been touch-operated, the CPU 11 further determines, based on aninput from the touch panel unit 18, whether an inside of the shootingbutton circle SC has been touch-operated (step S109).

If it is determined that the inside of the shooting button circle SC hasnot been touch-operated, either, the CPU 11 returns to the process fromstep S108.

In this manner, by repeatedly executing the process of steps S108 andS109, the CPU 11 stands by for a touch operation on the outer edge orthe inside of the shooting button circle SC, while keeping the displaystate on the display unit 17 as shown in FIG. 4.

In the case where the outer edge of the shooting button circle SC hasbeen touch-operated, if this operation is determined in step S108, theCPU 11 accepts a subsequent slide operation of moving the touchoperation while the touch state on the touch panel unit 18 is beingkept. Based on the accepted content, the CPU 11 moves the displayposition of the shooting button circle SC and target circle TC (stepS110).

Then, in accordance with this movement, the CPU 11 determines whetherthe attack target exists at the position of the newly moved cross hairCH and the attack target can directly be shot (step S111).

If it is determined that the attack target does not exist at theposition of the moved cross hair CH and the attack target cannotdirectly be shot, the CPU 11 returns to the process from step S108.

In step S111, if it is determined that the attack target exists at theposition of the moved cross hair CH and the attack target can directlybe shot, the CPU 11 turns off the display of the target circle TC on thetouch panel unit 18, and effects such a display state, as shown in FIG.3, in which only the shooting button circle SC and cross hair CH aredisplayed in association with the attack target MT (step S112).

Then, the CPU 11 determines, based on an input from the touch panel unit18, whether a touch operation has been executed in the shooting buttoncircle SC within a predetermined time period, for example, within twoseconds (step S113).

If it is determined that a touch operation has been executed in theshooting button circle SC, the CPU 11 executes shooting at the attacktarget MT with the progress of the game, and executes a process for anexpression by video and audio, and a process for a score, deeming that abullet hit the attack target MT (step S114). Thereafter, the CPU 11returns to the process from step S101, in preparation for a touchoperation on the next attack target.

In step S113, if no touch operation has been executed in the shootingbutton circle SC within the predetermined time period, for example,within two seconds, the CPU 11 releases the display of the shootingbutton circle SC and cross hair CH, and returns to the process from stepS101, in preparation for a touch operation on the next attack target.

In the case where a touch operation has been executed in the shootingbutton circle SC in the state in which the shooting button circle SC andtarget circle TC are being displayed on the display unit 17, as shown inFIG. 4, if the CPU 11 determines this operation in step S109, the CPU 11determines whether the attack target MT exists in the target circle TCat this time (step S115).

If it is determined that the attack target MT exists in the targetcircle TC, the CPU 11 auto-aims at the attack target MT existing in thetarget circle TC, and causes the position of the cross hair CH to bedisplayed on the display unit 17 in accordance with the position of theattack target MT (step S116). If there is a plurality of attack targetsin the target circle TC, the CPU 11 auto-aims at the attack target MTexisting close to the cross hair CH.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating an image of the part of the shootingbutton circle SC which is displayed on the display unit 17 at this time.FIG. 5 shows a state in which the cross hair CH are moved away from thecenter of the target circle TC by the auto-aiming function, so as tolocate the position of the attack target MT existing in the shootingbutton circle SC.

In this manner, at the same time as the cross hair CH is moved to theattack target MT by the auto-aiming function and is displayed, the CPU11 automatically executes shooting at the attack target MT, and executesa process for an expression by video and audio, and a process for ascore, deeming that a bullet hit the attack target MT (step S117).Thereafter, the CPU 11 returns to the process from step S101, inpreparation for a touch operation on the next attack target.

If it is determined in step S115 that the attack target MT does notexist in the target circle TC, there is no attack target, despiteshooting having been instructed by the user's touch operation, and theauto-aiming function cannot be executed. Thus, the CPU 11 executesshooting, without moving the position of the cross hair CH, which isdisplayed on the display unit 17, away from the center of the targetcircle TC, and executes a process for an expression by video and audio,deeming that shooting was executed in the state in which there was noattack target MT (step S118). Thereafter, the CPU 11 returns to theprocess from step S101, in preparation for a touch operation on the nextattack target.

In the meantime, as illustrated also in FIG. 3 to FIG. 5, while theshooting operation is executed by touch-operating the inside of theshooting button circle SC, the position of the shooting button circle SCcan be moved by slide-operating the outer frame of the shooting buttoncircle SC.

Thus, shooting at the attack target MT can easily be executed byslide-operating the shooting button circle SC so that the attack targetMT may fall within the target circle TC that is disposed inside theshooting button circle SC, and then executing a touch operation in theshooting button circle SC.

In the case where scores by shooting results on the game are differentdepending on regions constituting the attack target MT, for instance, abody region, a head region and a leg region of the attack target MT, theouter frame of the shooting button circle SC is slide-operated such thata region with a higher score coincides with the cross hair, within anallowable range of time. Thereby, the user can aim at a higher score.Thus, the capabilities of the game can be enhanced, without varying thesimple operability.

In the above-described embodiment, shooting is executed within theshooting button circle SC, and the movement of the shooting buttoncircle SC is executed by slide-operating the outer frame portion of theshooting button circle SC. However, for example, in the smartphone 10including the display unit 17 with a size of about 4 inches in diagonal,when operating separately the outer frame portion and the inside of theshooting button circle SC, operation to the outer frame portion of thecircle that the user intended, likely to be incorrectly detected as anoperation of the inside of the shooting button circle SC. In this case,even if the user intended for operation to the outer frame portion ofthe shooting button circle SC, it is a possible that the shooting buttoncircle SC is not moving, shooting is performed immediately.

Taking this into account, as illustrated in FIG. 6, a plurality ofhandle buttons HB for a slide operation may be disposed in advance on aperiphery of the outer edge portion of the shooting button circle SC,and any one of the handle buttons HB may be slide-operated. Thereby, themovement of the shooting button circle SC may be executed.

Specifically, FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which handle buttons HBare disposed at four locations, i.e. at upper, lower, left and rightparts, of the outer periphery of the shooting button circle SC. Even ifan outer edge portion of the shooting button circle SC, other than thesehandle buttons HB, is operated, the movement of the shooting buttoncircle SC is disabled, and an erroneous operation can be avoided.

The number of handle buttons HB, which are disposed, and the positionsthereof are not limited to the example illustrated in FIG. 4, and othervarious modifications may be thinkable.

As has been described above in detail, according to the presentembodiment, it is possible to achieve both precise shooting and speedygame development by a simple and easy-to-understand operation, in adevice including a touch-panel-type display unit and having a limiteddisplay area.

In addition, in the embodiment, the range of shooting is moved byslide-operating the outer edge of the shooting button circle SC which isbroader than the target circle TC. Thus, the display range, whichbecomes a shooting target, is not hidden by the user's fingers, and anoperation can be continued while the display range is always beingvisually recognized.

In the embodiment, shooting is executed by a touch operation in theshooting button circle SC. Thus, the shooting is not executed by greatlymoving the finger from a previous operation of moving the shootingbutton circle SC and then operating a button at another area, and atransition can be made to the operation of executing instant shooting.Therefore, the game with speedier development can be realized.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, in the above embodiment, the handle buttons HBfor operating the slide movement of the shooting button circle SC may beprovided. Thus, by properly disposing the handle buttons HB wherenecessary, the useless occurrence of an erroneous operation can surelybe avoided.

In the embodiment, both the shooting button circle SC and the targetcircle TC have circular shapes. However, the invention is not limited tothis example. For example, the shape of the shooting button circle SCand the target circle TC may be converted into a rectangular slit-shapedsimulating a loophole, and rectangular or other shapes simulating awindow. Specifically, the shape of the range capable of shooting and theshape of the range for instructing the execution of the shooting are notlimited. Specifically, the shape of the range for instructing theexecution of the shooting and shows a range capable of shooting is notlimited.

In the above embodiment, the game is executed in a stand-alone mode,based on a game program pre-installed in the smartphone 10. However, theinvention is not limited to this example, and the game may be executedas an online game in a state in which the smartphone 10, which functionsas a terminal device, is wirelessly connected to a game server apparatusover a network.

In this case, the smartphone 10 displays a game image and executes aninput such as a touch operation on the game image. On the other hand,the game server apparatus executes a process of, in particular,determination of success/failure of an attack, and addition of scores ata time of a success.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.In practice, various modifications may be made without departing fromthe spirit of the invention. In addition, the functions executed in theembodiments may be implemented by being properly combined as much aspossible. The above-described embodiments include inventions in variousstages, and various inventions can be derived from proper combinationsof structural elements disclosed herein. For example, even if somestructural elements in all the structural elements disclosed in theembodiments are omitted, if the advantageous effect can be obtained, thestructure without such structural elements can be derived as aninvention.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A game control method executed by aterminal device comprising circuitry, a display device, and a touchpanel provided integral with the display device, the game control methodcomprising: in response to a first operation from a user to the touchpanel under a state where a shooting effective range is not displayed ona game image that is displayed by the display device, causing, using thecircuitry, the shooting effective range to appear on the game image at aposition on the display device, the position depending on a touchposition of the first operation, and the shooting effective rangeappearing on the game image at different positions on the display devicebased on different touch positions such that when a touch position is onone side of the display device, the shooting effective range appears onthe game image at a position corresponding to the touch position on theone side of the display device; in response to a second operation fromthe user to the touch panel, moving, using the circuitry, the shootingeffective range, the second operation being a slide operation to an areadifferent from the shooting effective range displayed on the displaydevice; and in response to a third operation from the user to the touchpanel, executing shooting within the shooting effective range.
 2. Thegame control method of claim 1, wherein the area different from theshooting effective range is outside the shooting effective range.
 3. Thegame control method of claim 1, wherein the third operation is not aslide operation.
 4. The game control method of claim 1, wherein thefirst operation includes a touch operation.
 5. The game control methodof claim 1, wherein the third operation is performed after the secondoperation.
 6. The game control method of claim 1, wherein when the thirdoperation is performed under a state where an attack target exists inthe shooting effective range, executing the shooting to the attacktarget, deeming that the shooting is successfully executed, andexecuting a first video expression, a first audio expression, and ascore process, using the circuitry; and when the third operation isperformed under a state where no attack target exists in the shootingeffective range, executing the shooting to the attack target, deemingthat the shooting is not successfully executed, and executing a secondvideo expression and a second audio expression, using the circuitry. 7.A device comprising: circuitry configured to in response to a firstoperation from a user to a touch panel provided integral with a displaydevice under a state where a shooting effective range is not displayedon a game image that is displayed by the display device, cause theshooting effective range to appear on the game image at a position onthe display device, the position depending on a touch position of thefirst operation, and the shooting effective range appearing on the gameimage at different positions on the display device based on differenttouch positions such that when a touch position is on one side of thedisplay device, the shooting effective range appears on the game imageat a position corresponding to the touch position on the one side of thedisplay device, in response to a second operation from the user to thetouch panel, move the shooting effective range, the second operationbeing a slide operation to an area different from the shooting effectiverange displayed on the display device, and in response to a thirdoperation from the user to the touch panel, execute shooting within theshooting effective range.
 8. The device of claim 7, wherein the areadifferent from the shooting effective range is outside the shootingeffective range.
 9. The device of claim 7, wherein the third operationis not a slide operation.
 10. The device of claim 7, wherein the firstoperation includes a touch operation.
 11. The device of claim 7, whereinthe third operation is performed after the second operation.
 12. Thedevice of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is configured to when the thirdoperation is performed under a state where an attack target exists inthe shooting effective range, execute the shooting to the attack target,deem that the shooting is successfully executed, and execute a firstvideo expression, a first audio expression, and a score process, andwhen the third operation is performed under a state where no attacktarget exists in the shooting effective range, execute the shooting tothe attack target, deem that the shooting is not successfully executed,and execute a second video expression and a second audio expression. 13.A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code that, whenexecuted by a computer, controls the computer to perform a method, themethod comprising: in response to a first operation from a user to atouch panel provided integral with a display device under a state wherea shooting effective range is not displayed on a game image that isdisplayed by the display device, causing the shooting effective range toappear on the game image at a position on the display device, theposition depending on a touch position of the first operation, and theshooting effective range appearing on the game image at differentpositions on the display device based on different touch positions suchthat when a touch position is on one side of the display device, theshooting effective range appears on the game image at a positioncorresponding to the touch position on the one side of the displaydevice; in response to a second operation from the user to the touchpanel, moving the shooting effective range, the second operation being aslide operation to an area different from the shooting effective rangedisplayed on the display device; and in response to a third operationfrom the user to the touch panel, executing shooting within the shootingeffective range.
 14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium ofclaim 13, wherein the area different from the shooting effective rangeis outside the shooting effective range.
 15. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the third operation is nota slide operation.
 16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium ofclaim 13, wherein the first operation includes a touch operation. 17.The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein whenthe third operation is performed under a state where an attack targetexists in the shooting effective range, executing the shooting to theattack target, deeming that the shooting is successfully executed, andexecuting a first video expression, a first audio expression, and ascore process; and when the third operation is performed under a statewhere no attack target exists in the shooting effective range, executingthe shooting to the attack target, deeming that the shooting is notsuccessfully executed, and executing a second video expression and asecond audio expression.
 18. The game control method of claim 1, whereinthe shooting effective range appears on the game image at the differentpositions on the display device based on the different touch positionssuch that when a touch position is on a left side of the display device,the shooting effective range appears on the game image at a positioncorresponding to the touch position on the left side of the displaydevice.
 19. The game control method of claim 1, wherein the shootingeffective range appears on the game image at the different positions onthe display device based on the different touch positions such that whena touch position is on a right side of the display device, the shootingeffective range appears on the game image at a position corresponding tothe touch position on the right side of the display device.
 20. The gamecontrol method of claim 1, further comprising: causing the displaydevice to display a symbol within the shooting effective range, thesymbol being displayed at a position that is off-center from a center ofthe shooting effective range.